Method and device for operating a distributed application

Abstract

A method for operating an application distributed between a first system, a second system, and a third system on a transaction channel shared by the systems. In the method, the third system consents to a state transition of the application under particular conditions, the first system and the second system initiate by mutual agreement the state transition via the transaction channel, and the application carries out the state transition automatically if the conditions are present.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method for operating an application distributed between a first system, a second system, and a third system on a transaction channel shared by the first, second, and third systems, the method comprising the following steps:
 consenting, by the third system, to a state transition of the application under particular conditions;   initiating, by the first system and the second system, by mutual agreement the state transition via the transaction channel; and   carrying out, by the application, the state transition automatically when the conditions are present.   
     
     
         2 . The method as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the transaction channel is anchored in a blockchain. 
     
     
         3 . The method as recited in  claim 2 , wherein the first system, the second system, and the third system use a shared script language, and the presence of the conditions is checked in the script language. 
     
     
         4 . The method as recited in  claim 3 , wherein the conditions relate to a shared oracle, and the check includes a call-up of the oracle. 
     
     
         5 . The method as recited in  claim 2 , the state transition marks a financial transaction in a shared cryptocurrency, and the blockchain serves the first, second, and third systems as a distributed ledger of the cryptocurrency. 
     
     
         6 . The method as recited in  claim 1 , wherein:
 the first system and the second system are identical, and/or   the first system and the third system are identical, and/or   the second system and the third system are identical.   
     
     
         7 . A non-transitory machine-readable memory medium on which is stored a computer program for operating an application distributed between a first system, a second system, and a third system on a transaction channel shared by the first, second, and third systems, the computer program, when executed by a computer, causing the computer to perform the following steps:
 consenting, by the third system, to a state transition of the application under particular conditions;   initiating, by the first system and the second system, by mutual agreement the state transition via the transaction channel; and   carrying out, by the application, the state transition automatically when the conditions are present.   
     
     
         8 . A device configured to operate an application distributed between a first system, a second system, and a third system on a transaction channel shared by the first, second, and third systems, the device configured to:
 consent, by the third system, to a state transition of the application under particular conditions;   initiate, by the first system and the second system, by mutual agreement the state transition via the transaction channel; and   carry out, by the application, the state transition automatically when the conditions are present.